Striving for the life more abundant

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Happy Thursday! It’s been a pretty great week! Little Miss H is smiling with more frequency and definitely giving up lots of half smiles. Roscoe P. got his senior (yes, he’s now a senior but not getting any senior discounts at the vet!) wellness check. The best thing I can say about that is that no one was harmed in his examination. Also, the week has not been a total rain-out. Who am I kidding? Any four day week is probably a good one!

Sadly, I have to report some bad news. Luvs diapers stink! We are now the proud owners of an Amazon Prime membership. I thought “Great! Let’s order diapers!” They are very noisy due to material, and they are scented. I HATE scents! The smell of baby powder (which is what they smell like) reminds me of a time that I used way too much baby powder as a child and nearly made myself ill! Looks like I am off to Sam’s Club again for diapers!

Since I’m home on maternity leave (which is officially over in a week as Big H will be out of his M-F preschool), I have a bit more free time when the Little H naps. I’ve been trying to return to my daily devotional time. So far, I’m doing pretty good! I think the best thing is to be flexible with when it actually happens. This is also true for work-outs, but I digress.

I like to flip through my Bible and read random selections. Now, I prefer the New Testament. I mean, who doesn’t? However, I try to show some love to the Old Testament sometimes. I happened to flip to Ezekiel and read chapter 34. It was talking about a bad shepherd v. a good shepherd. It talked about how the good shepherd lovingly tends the sheep and does not rule with force or cruelty. This passage reminded me of my children. If I do not tend them, they become prey to any “animal” that comes along. It also says that the good shepherd will give the best food, rest, and peace to his sheep. Now, the good shepherd spoken of in this passage is God. I realize that I can’t be the perfect parent/do everything for my children to make them have these perfect existences. However, I do feel sure that God holds me responsible for my “flock.” As I was telling Holden last night, I have to correct him and teach him how to behave. I have to be an example of whatever I want him to do. The Mr. and I are their first teachers, their first coaches (you should know how much sweat and tears have gone into H’s first soccer season), first confidant, first of many things. It’s my job. God gave me these two precious little people, and I only have them for a few years. I’m so thankful for the job. Even when Big H asks ten million questions in 2 minutes and Little H has been crying for an obscene amount of time about NOTHING, I am thankful for them. It would be completely fine though for everyone to take a moment of silence every once in a while. 🙂

Ezekiel – Chapter 34

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land.14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

Yesterday, I got a lot accomplished. I packed up 90% of the kitchen, Holdie’s room, and misc. areas. The Mr. and I took a load of “stuff” to the storage unit. Holden went to the dr. and was found to have an ear infection. I got the meds plus a dress for a wedding at the end of the month. I even did some eyebrow plucking. However…This is a big however…I felt like the worst parent most of the day. I felt impatient (and I was), whiny (and I was), and like my temper had the shortest fuse ever (and it did). I told the Mr. in my whining moment that I felt old, tired, and broke. Whew. I was putting out a lot of crap for my family to have to deal with, and the kicker is that I even knew it at the time! But I couldn’t seem to stop it. I’m so so so glad that no body fired me from my real job of mommy and wife. My work performance was totally off. I forgot what the real goal is that I should be striving for every day. The goal of loving my family, speaking kind words to my family, and being patient with my family. The following pictures could be put on here with me saying how fabulous I did and all I accomplished on yesterday’s busy day. That would be completely untrue, and all the hard work really just makes me feel icky since I know the truth. And the truth is I let my emotions take control of my manners. I LET my internal, personal feelings hurt the people I love most. What could have been a better plan? Adjusting expectations, actually taking a break when the Mr. encouraged me to do so, taking the time in the morning to put on makeup and do my hair (seriously, it would have helped when I was feeling all schlupy waiting for a Rx at Target with the other Saturday ladies out and about), and change the words I say to kind words erring on the side of patience.

So here’s the pics…Sort of tell a different story don’t they?

Pancakes were made before the craziness commenced.

Dr.’s Office Mural Fun

The dress I bought…but may take back!

Another cute dress at Old Navy, but a bit overpriced at 30 bucks, I thought.

All the produce which probably won’t make the move except the potatoes!

So there it is! A packing success and a parenting fail. Setting my goal on a flip flop of priorities for today. Have a restful Sunday!